Bash on the Grass returns to Watford City Aug. 7

Sawyer Brown and Chris Cagle will headline the second annual Bash on the Grass at the McKenzie County Fairgrounds in Watford City, North Dakota on Aug. 7.

Father/son duo Roland and Jason Marmon are organizing the event that attracted 1,700 people last year. Held in conjunction with “The Best of the West” Ribfest, the event will also feature a charity golf tournament, food and trade booths in an effort to provide quality entertainment to the booming area.

“People want to leverage summer as much as possible,” said Jason Marmon, who has spent his life in the Williston/Watford City area. “We wanted to make a community event that people could be excited about annually.”

Mayor Brent Sanford compared it to the “Blast in the Badlands” that attracted many people in the late 1980s. When young people began to leave the area and the population was aging, he said interest waned for the event, so he’s glad to see this kind of entertainment return.

“These are the types of things that the people that are moving here, that aren’t lifelong residents, really value and they think is pretty neat,” Sanford said.

The oil industry will be heavily involved in the event, sponsoring golf teams and booths, Marmon said. WB Supply, an oil field equipment supplier in Watford City, will provide hot dogs and water for donations benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization started after Sept. 11, 2001 that offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans.

WB Supply supervisor Karryn Harris said she hopes the community sees the event as more than “just a concert and a golf tournament.”

“It’s actually to help veterans and those that are currently serving,” Harris said. “I hope the community sees that local businesses care and are involved and they can be involved as well.”

Marmon said Wounded Warriors is highly esteemed in western North Dakota as many oil companies serving the area have employees with military backgrounds, but the cause is also important to his family as two of his cousins have benefited from its rehabilitation services. Proceeds from the golf tournament will also go to the project in addition to the Fox Hills Golf and Country Club’s future expansion from a 9-hole course to 18 holes.

“Companies can feel like they’re giving back and the community feels engaged,” he said.

Other local vendors will also be on site with food trucks and trailers. The golf tournament begins at Fox Hills Golf Course at 10:00 a.m. and concert gates open at 6:30 p.m. with music starting at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $45 with VIP tickets available for $75. For more information, visit www.bashonthegrass.com.

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